The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) has announced the recipients of its first-ever Manufacturing Facility Support Programme (MFSP), designed to drive investment and increase UK offshore wind manufacturing capacity and capability.
A total of £1.4 million has been awarded to ARC Marine, DFS Composites, Global Energy Nigg, a Venterra Group Company and W3G Marine to develop new manufacturing facilities or expand existing ones. This funding will increase production capacity for key offshore wind components, equipment, and systems that address the critical manufacturing priorities outlined in the Industrial Growth Plan.
The MFSP provides matched funding of up to £500,000, enabling early-stage investment and reducing risk for UK manufacturers. Unlocking capital investment in these facilities will drive innovation, enhance competitiveness, and reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind manufacturing and deployment.
Alan West, Managing Director of W3G Marine Ltd, said:
“This funding will support the development of our seabed-supported tripod structure to enable turbine assembly onto floating foundations without the need for extensive port upgrades.
“The MFSP grant will allow us to further develop the business plan for the sites and ports we are already working with and join with the best parties to bring the solution to reality.
“This innovative solution will address critical challenges in floating offshore wind installation. The use of a tripod in sheltered waters is a game changer and the type of step change needed by the floating offshore wind industry to increase competition and deployment.”
Claire Canning, Programme Manager at OWGP added:
“This announcement marks a significant step in strengthening the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, directly supporting the priorities set out in the Industrial Growth Plan.
“The Manufacturing Facility Support Programme will prove vital in enabling early-stage investment, providing companies with the necessary resources to develop new or additional production capacity.
“Unlocking new manufacturing capabilities, increasing capacity, and driving innovation will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of offshore wind technology, creating high-value jobs and enhancing global competitiveness.”
Contact Information
| Media Team |
| media@ore.catapult.org.uk |
Notes to editors
For more information contact:
Rhianna Knight-McGrath, Communications Manager at OWGP, rhianna.knight-mcgrath@owgp.org.uk
More details about the awarded companies:
| Company | Project summary |
| ARC Marine | ARC seeks to redevelop a redundant marine conservation education centre to create a cutting-edge facility, enabling it to increase its capacity to service the offshore wind supply chain. The facility will become their main operational hub to allow the company to scale up their capacity to manufacture and deliver products and services tailored for the ORE markets and to facilitate the protection of subsea infrastructure while lowering clients’ carbon footprints, boosting biodiversity and habitat creation. |
| DFS Composites | DFS Composites is set to launch a cutting-edge design and manufacturing facility dedicated to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions. This initiative will support the net-zero economy, The new facility will enhance DFS’s global standing, positioning the company as a premier hub for custom tooling solutions tailored for the offshore wind industry. |
| Global Energy Nigg | Global Energy Nigg Ltd., part of Global Energy Group, is developing a Rolled Tubular Facility at the Port of Nigg to manufacture rolled steel products for offshore wind projects, tackling the UK’s manufacturing capacity shortage. The MFSP will deliver an investor-ready business case, addressing key technical, market, and commercial factors while ensuring thorough risk analysis and mitigation. |
| Venterra Group Company | A Venterra Group company have received funding to support their manufacturing efforts to support offshore wind in Blyth. |
| W3G Marine Ltd | W3G Marine Ltd (W3GM) has developed a facility to install any turbine onto any floating structure without the need for extensive port infrastructure upgrades. The primary part of the system is a seabed supported tripod structure with a high lifting point and capacity which will enable the assembly of turbine components (tower, nacelle and blades) onto a floating foundation. Supported by leading industry consultants, W3GM will use the funding to carry out a FEED study and further develop the business case with the project objective of securing investment |
About the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership
The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) is a long-term business transformation programme that has been established as part of the UK Offshore Wind Sector Deal. It promotes closer collaboration across the supply chain, implements structured productivity improvement programmes and facilitates shared growth opportunities between developers and the supply chain. Recently OWGP was appointed by OWIC to become the Delivery Body for the offshore wind Industrial Growth Plan.
OWGP has supported 255 UK companies since the organisation’s inception in 2019 and have received over 1400 registrations of interest on the OWGP website.
For more information and to apply for funding or business transformation support, go to https://owgp.org.uk/funding-and-support-opportunities/
OWGP operates as a not-for-profit private company limited by guarantee with funding for its activities provided by the Offshore Wind Industry Council. Delivery is focused on direct support to supply chain companies through a combination of business transformation and grant funding. Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult supports the delivery of OWGP activities through the provision of staffing, administrative and logistical support.